Abstract – Vegetation burning and forest reservation…

ABSTRACT:

Igbozurike, M.U., 1974. Vegetation burning and forest reservation in a segment of the forest—savanna mosaic of Nigeria: a preliminary investigation. Landscape Plann., 1: 81–103.As a man-induced process and a problem said to require solution, vegetation burning has reached epidemic proportions in large segments of Nigeria’s forest—savanna ecotone. The dimensions and implications of this phenomenon, the necessity for its control, and the control mechanics especially by way of forest reservation, and the attendant biogeographic changes are the subject of this investigation. On the one hand, the constitution into a forest reserve of a grassland area that used to be regularly burned makes for greater biotistic wealth, and this furnishes a basis for a greater degree of game harvesting. On the other hand, and more important, for various ecological, economic, physical, and cultural reasons and as alternative means for satisfying the needs met by fire are non-accessible or unavailable, the exclusion of fire from most of the area studied is certain to do more harm than good.